Car unloading device



Feb. 3, A LAMBERT. CAR UNLOADING DEVICE Filed Dec. 23, 1957 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENT OR.

flyawd if. Zmari Feb. 3, 1959 LA R 2,872,055

CAR UNLOADING DEVICE Filed Dec. 25, 1957 s Sheets-Shet 2 INVENTOR. fl flrdzlmaerz BY 0 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 23, 1957 a hi CAR UNLQADING DEVICE Agard L. Lambert, Virginia, Minn. Application December 23, 1957, Serial No. 704,506 Claims. (Cl. 214-44) My invention relates to car unloading devices and more particularly to devices for unloading of ore carrying rail cars and the like.

Conventional ore carrying rail cars include vertical side wall portions, downwardly converging end walls, and a discharge opening in their bottoms. Ore bearing earth carried by such cars frequently contains considerable moisture and as a result thereof the ore in extremely cold weather frequently becomes caked or frozen to the side walls or converging end walls. The unloading of such cars is time consuming and costly and considerable means and mechanisms have been unsuccessfully tried in an effort to solve this vexing problem.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of mechanism which may be utilized to quickly and inexpensively free frozen ore from the side wall portions and the downwardly converging end walls of the ore cars and which likewise may be used to break up the frozen intermediate portion of the ore therebetween in overlying relationship to the discharge opening in the bottom.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a device of the class described which comprises a mobile frame structure which defines a passageway for the ore loaded rail cars and which frame structure is equipped with a pair of laterally spaced side wall scraper elements in overlying relationship to the intermediate portion of a car in said passageway, power operated means for imparting common reciprocal movements to said scraper elements in a vertical plane transversely of said passageway, an impact shoe mounted for independent vertical reciprocal movements intermediate said scraper elements, power operated mechanism for imparting movements to said impact shoe, a pair of opposed downwardly converging guideways in substantial alignment with the planes of the respective downwardly converging end walls of a car within said passageway, a pair of end wall scraper elements one each mounted within one of said guideways for generally upward and downward movements in said plane, and power operated mechanism for imparting said movements to said end wall scraper elements.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a device of the class immediately above described in which said guideways each comprise a pair of opposed inwardly opening channels at opposite sides of said frame, and in which said end wall scraper elements have inner and outer pairs of rollers journaled at opposite sides thereof and received in said channels, the upper sides of said channels defining openings for said inner rollers whereby when said end wall scraper elements are moved upwardly to a predetermined position the same are caused to move pivotally about the axes of said outer rollers, said inner rollers moving upwardly out of said channels through said openings therein to cause the inner ends of said end Wall scraper elements to be raised above the normal level of material in said rail cars.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a device of the class above described in which the power operated mechanism for imparting movements to said end wall scrapers comprises a pair of fluid pressure operated piston-equipped cylinders having depending Patented Feb. 3, 1959 2 plunger rods, a pair of levers, and a pair of rigid links, one each of said levers being pivotally connected at its inner end to said frame structure and being pivotally connected intermediate its ends to its cooperating plunger, one each of said rigid links being pivotally secured at one end to the outer end of one of said levers and being pivotally connected at its other end to the intermediate portion of one of said scraper elements.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a device of the class described which is not unduly expensive to produce, which is positive and efficient in its operation, and which is rugged and durable. Y

The above and still further objects of my invention will become apparent from the following detailed specification, appended claims and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation, some parts being broken away and some parts shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view as seen substantially from the line 33 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section as seen from the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring with greater particularity to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates in its entirety a frame structure, the vertically disposed laterally spaced end members 2, the transverse connecting end members 3 and the horizontally disposed connecting side members 4 defining a generally inverted U-shaped elongated passageway X for the free passage of a loaded rail car 5. It will be noted that the frame structure 1, for purposes of rigidity, is formed from angle irons or the like and is preferably mounted on conventional flange equipped wheels 6 for reception on rails 7 having a considerably wider gauge than the conventional rails 8 upon which the wheels 9 of the ore car 5 ride.

Referring to the rail car 5, it will be noted that the same is of a conventional gondola type and includes vertical side wall portions 10 and downwardly converging end walls 11 which at their lower ends define a discharge opening 12, closable atlwill by means of hinged doors 13.

As above indicated, the moisture ladened ore Y within the car 5 becomes frozen into a solid mass and frequently adheres stubbornly to the vertical side wall portions 10 as well as the end walls 11. For the purpose of breaking up this frozen mass and freeing the same from the side and end wall portions 10, 11, I provide a pair of laterally spaced vertically disposed cylinders 14 having push rod equipped pistons 15 therein, the push rods projecting through the heads 16 at their lower ends and being identified by the numeral 17. As shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 4, the cylinders 14 are secured in any suitable manner between a pair of angle irons 18 extending between the intermediate portions of the side frame members 4 so as to overlie the intermediate portion of a loaded car 5 received within the passageway X. Rigidly secured to the lower end portions of the push rods 17 is a crosshead 19. As shown in Fig. 1, the push rods 17 work between the engle irons l8. Depending from opposite ends of the crosshead 19 are scraper elements 20 adapted to closely engage and scrape the side wall portions 10 of the car 5, when the loaded car 5 is received within the passageway X, upon lowering movements of the piston 15 through the medium of fluid under pressure introduced into the top of the cylinder 14 Also suitably mounted on the angle irons 18, interme diate the pair of cylinders 14, is a vertically disposed cyl- At its opposite ends the frame structure 1 is formed to provide a pair of opposed downwardly converging guideways 31. The guideways 31 each comprise a pair of inwardly opening channel members 32. A pair of end wall scraper elements 33, preferably and as' shown having pointed leading edges 34, are mounted one each within one of said guideways 31 for generally upward and downward movements in the plane thereof. Power operated mechanism for imparting lowering and raising movements to the end wall scraper elements 33 comprises a pair of piston-equipped cylinders 35 suitably pivotally secured at their upper ends on horizontal axes to a superstructure 36 associated with the frame 1, as indicated by the numeral 37. The push rods 38 working through the lower ends of the cylinders 35. are pivotally connected at their lower ends to the intermediate portion of levers 39, as indicated at 40. The inner ends of the levers 39 are pivotally secured on horizontal axes to the superstructure 36, as indicated at 41; whereas the outer ends thereof are pivotally secured to one end of rigid links 42, as indicated at 43. The opposite ends of the rigid links 42 are in turn secured on horizontal axes to upstanding mounting plates 44 carried by the end wall scraper elements 33, as indicated at 45. Lowering or scrapping movements are imparted to the scraper elements 33 by the introduction of fluid under pressure into the fluid conduits 46 leading to the upper ends of the cylinders 35, whereas raising or retracting movements are imparted thereto by introducing fluid under pressure into the conduits 47 leading into the lower ends of the cylinders 35.

It will be noted that the height of the ore bearing earth Y within the car is normally greater than the top 48 of the car 5 and also higher than the pointed lower end 34 of the scraper .elements 33 when both of the inner and outer pairs of rollers 49 and 50 are received within the opposed channel members 32. Therefore, and in order to elevate the leading end portions 34 of the scraper elements 33 to permit the ore ladened cars. 5 to be run thereunder, I .provide the upper sides 51 with notches ,or openings 52 upwardly through which the inner rollers 49 are adapted to pass when said rollers 49 come into registration therewith during upward movements of theiscraper elements 33. To positively effect such raising movement, I provide stop elements 53 which are engaged by the outer rollers 50 when the inner rollers 49 come into registration with the openings 52.

My invention has been thoroughly tested and found to be completely satisfactory for the accomplishment-of the above objects and while I have shown a preferred embodiment thereof, I wish it to be understood that sameis capable of modification without departure from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a device for unloading open topped earth mov* ing rail cars of the type having vertical side wall portions, downwardly diverging end walls and a discharge opening'inttheir bottoms, said device comprising an elongatedtrame structure defining apassageway for said rail cars, laterally spaced side wall scraper elements supported by said frame structure in overlying relationship to the central portion of a car in said passageway,

power operated means for imparting common reciprocal movements to-said scraper elements in a vertical plane transversely of said passageway, an impact shoe mounted for independent vertical reciprocal movements intermediate said scraper elements, and power operated mecha nism for imparting movements to said impact shoe, a pair of opposed downwardly converging guideways 'in substantial alignment with the planes of the respective end walls of a car within said passageway, a pair of end wall scraper elements one each mounted within one of said guideways for generally upward and downward movements in said plane, and power operated mechanism for imparting said movements to said end wall scraper elements.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the guideways each comprise a pair of opposed inwardly opening channels at opposite sides of said frame, said end wall scraper elements having inner and outer pairs of rollers journaled at opposite sides thereof and received in said channels, the upper sides of said channels defining openings for said inner rollers whereby When said end wall scraper elements are moved upwardly to a predetermined position the same are caused to move pivotally about the axes of said outer rollers, said inner rollers moving upwardly out of said channels through said openings therein to cause the inner ends of said end wall scraper elements to be raised above the normal level of material in said rail cars.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 in further combination with stop means positively limiting upward movements of said outer pairs of rollers when said inner rollers are in registration with the cooperating openings in the upper sides of said channels.

4. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the power operated mechanism for imparting movements to said end wall scrapers comprises a pair of fluid pressure 0perated piston-equipped cylinders having depending plunger rods, a pair of levers, and a pair of rigid links, one each of said levers being pivotally connected at its inner end to said frame structure and being pivotally connected intermediate its ends to its cooperating plunger,

one each of said rigid links being pivotally secured at one end to the outer end of one of said-levers and being pivotally connected at its other end to the intermediate portion of one of said scraper elements.

5. In a-device for unloading open topped earth moving rail cars of the type having vertical side wall portions, downwardly diverging end Walls and a discharge opening in their bottoms, said device comprising an elongated inverted U-shaped mobile frame structure defining a passageway for said cars, a pair of laterally spaced vertically disposed piston-equipped cylinders carried by said frame structure in overlying relationship to a rail car in said passageway and each having a downwardly projecting piston rod, a crosshead connecting the lower end portions of said piston rods, a depending side wall scraper element carried by opposite end portions of said crosshead, a vertically disposed piston-equipped cylinder disposed between said first-mentioned cylinders, and having a depending piston rod working through an aperture in said crosshead, an impact shoe on the bottom of said last-mentioned piston rod, and means for imparting vertical reciprocal movements to the pistons in all three of said cylinders, a pair of opposed downwardly converging guideways in substantial alignment with the planes of the respective end walls of a car within said passageway, a pair of end Wall scraper elements one each mounted within one of said guideways for generally upward and downward movements in said plane, and power operated mechanism for imparting said movements to said end wall scraper elements.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,291.895 Hewlett Ian. 21, 1919 

